In the shadow of the cross...

"And even though I walk through the darkest valley, I shall fear no evil."
​~ Psalm 23:4
​

The term, "living in the shadow of the cross" has been used for the title of songs, books, and sermons.

It's a term that is reflective of an event that tells a life-narrative of a death and serves as an indicator of just how far God will go to have a relationship with the creation.

I have never been able to watch such movies as "The Passion of Christ." I already have an understanding of how precious life is, and I am a witness to violence every time I turn on the evening news. Watching the actor portrayal of a brutal murder is like wanting to watch Matthew Shepherd being beaten and hung on a Wyoming rail in the middle of the night and left in darkness.

I know that God loves me. I recognize that death is the threshold to eternal life. It is both terminal and life-giving. It is what drives many, while some it causes nauseous conditions. And for some, a deep fear of death.

I had a member of a congregation get up and leave during a service one Good Friday. Later I learned that his mother had been beat to death and for him the agony of the cross was too real.

Living in the shadow of the cross should not be ignored. Lately I have been reminded that in order for a shadow to exist, there must be light in order to create shadow.

Light, which darkness cannot overcome, and light that will not surrender to the object that stands in its way.

You and I are light to others in a world that can often be overshadowed by objects or situations. Remember that no amount of darkness can truly block out that light. Even the cross.

Stay in God's grip!

​G. Todd Williams (c) 2017